First part of downtown lane work set for next week

Downtown drivers and residents beware: A long-awaited resurfacing project will make headway soon.
Notices were scheduled to go out this week to local businesses in the work area where a contractor will reconfigure lanes on San Benito Street.
The physical part of the job is set to start April 11, when the contractor will remove existing striping over two or three days. San Benito Street is scheduled to stay open during this process.
Placement of the actual slurry is set for April 14 or April 15 and should be done in one day, according to a city announcement detailing the upcoming work schedule. Right after the slurry is down, workers will install temporary striping.
Ten to 14 days later, crews plan to install the thermoplastic striping.
Council members in late November approved spending $124,000 on a lane reconfiguration, from four to two, for an area of downtown.
Plans call for reducing the downtown’s four lanes to two between Third and Hawkins streets while installing turn pockets at intersections that don’t already have them.
The work, to the dismay of some downtown business owners, was initially set to occur during the heart of holiday shopping season. VSS International is the contractor.